Apparatus comprising connected ring units for use in playing hopping games



Dec. 24, 1963 M. ST ASIUK 3,115,340

APPARATUS C0MPR4 NG CONNECTED RING UNITS FOR USE PLAYIN OPP GAMES F d Feb. l9

. INVENTOR M/ TCHELL. p.57-As/u/r ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofitice 3,ll5,3 l Patented Dec. 24-, 1963 3,115,346 AFPARATUS (IUMKRHSHNG QONNECTED RING UNKTS FOR USE KN PLAYING HGPPXNG GAMES Mitchell 3). Stasiulr, 12.61 Manor Park, Lakewood, Uhio Filed Feb. 28, 1962, Ser. No. 176,305 4 Claims. (Cl. 273-1) This invention relates to a novel game apparatus which is primarily adapted for use by children in the play of various games, primarily hopping games, such as hopscotch, and which will obviate the need for defacing sidewalks and other surfaces with chalk marks, as is now the conventional practice, to permit the play of such games.

Another object of the invention is to provide a game apparatus for the aforedescribed purpose which may be utilized either outdoors or indoors and on either a paved surface, bare ground or a lawn.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a game apparatus composed of a plurality of corresponding units with novel attaching means enabling said units to be assembled in various formations or arrangements to provide distinctively delineated playing areas of various designs and shapes as desired or determined by the players.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a game apparatus wherein the individual units may be connected together even though said units are not all disposed coplanar, as where the game apparatus is laid out upon a surface which is not fiat or level, with each of the units lying substantially fiat upon the surface on which it is disposed although at an incline or canted relative to an adjacent unit to which it is detachably connected.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawing illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a plan View showing a plurality of the units of the game apparatus assembled in a particular formation for use in playing the game of hopscotch;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view showing parts of two of the units of the game apparatus detachably connected together;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 33 of FlGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of a part of a single unit of the game apparatus, and

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 5-5 of FIG- URE 1.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, the novel game apparatus in its entirety and as illustrated in FIG- URE l is designated generally 7 and is composed of a plurality of corresponding units, each designated generally 8, and each or" which consists of a large ring member or ring 9 and an attaching portion, designated generally ill.

As best seen in FIGURES 2, 3 and 4, the attaching portion it? of each unit 5 includes two arcuately bowed rigid strips 11 and 12 which are rigidly connected to one another by a bridge member 13 which extends between and is formed integral with or suitably secured to upper edges or" intermediate portions of the strips 11 and 12, so that said strips are disposed substantially concentric to one another. The curvature of the strips 11 and 12 substantially corresponds to the curvature of the ring 9 and the intermediate portion of the outer convex side Ileof the strip H, which faces away from the strip 12, is disposed against a part of the exterior of the ring 9 and is permanently and rigidly secured thereto in any suitable manner as by welding, as seen at 15. The attaching portion 10 is connected to the ring 9 so as to be disposed substantially coplanar therewith, as seen in FIGURE 3, and with the strips 11 and 12 each disposed substantially coplanar with the ring 9. Said strips ii and 12 are each of a width slightly greater than the diameter of the ring 9 so as to extend slightly above and slightly below the level of said ring and so that the bridge 13 has its undersi'e disposed slightly above the plane of the top surface of the ring 9.

Each of the units 8 also preferably includes a detachable number tah, designated generally 16, including a plate 17 having a numeral 18 suitably inscribed on an upper side thereof. One longitudinal edge of the plate 17 is formed into a downwardly opening channel 19 of arouate cross section which is longitudinally curved to conform to the curvatures of the rings 9 and which forms a resilient clamp along an outer edge of the plate 17 which detachably and yieldably engages over a selected portion of the upper side of the ring 9, which is spaced from the attaching portion 16) of the unit 8, so that when the clamp portion 19 is resiliently and frictionally engaging a part of the ring 9, as illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 5, the portion of the plate 17 containing the numeral 18 is disposed within the confines of the ring with said numeral facing upwardly.

The apparatus 7 is illustrated in FIGURE 1 as composed of eight of the units 3, although a greater or lesser number of said units may be provided or employed depending upon the game being played. The layout of the game apparatus in FIGURE 1 shows one well-known design used in the play of the game hopscotch. In describing the assembling of the game apparatus 7, as shown in FIGURE 1, the units 8 will be described by the numerals 13 of their tabs 16. The unit bearing the numeral 1 may be first laid on any suitable supporting surface and the unit 2 is then laid in an adjoining position and so that the strips 11 and 12 of the attaching portion ltl thereof will straddle a part of the ring 9 of the unit number 1 and with the bridge 13 overlying a part of said ring portion. The other units bearing numerals 3 to 8 are then laid in the same manner with the attaching portion 1%) of each unit engaging a part of the ring 9 of the unit of the next lower number. In the layout as shown in FEGURE i, units numbers 1, 2 and 3 are disposed in a straight line while units numbers 5 and 6 are disposed in adjoining crosswise relation as are also the units numbers 7 and 8 and with the unit number 6 located between the pairs of units numbers 4 and 5 and 7 and S. The attaching portions 10 may be conveniently located by turning the ring of each unit to engage an adjacently disposed ring portion of another unit, and the number tabs 16 are positioned where the numerals thereof will all be disposed to be conveniently read from the same end of the playing field.

As best seen in FIGURE 3, it will be apparent that the attaching portion ill of each unit has a loose engagement with a part of the ring 9 of an adjacent unit, so that the strips 11 and 12 of said attaching portion are spaced slightly from the ring portion embraced thereby and the bridge 13 is normally disposed above and spaced slightly from said ring portion. As each attaching portion 10 is open at its top and bottom from the bridge 13 to either end thereof, and in view of the loose fitting engagement of the attaching portion with the ring which it embraces, it will be readily obvious that the embraced ring may be inclined or canted relative to the attaching portion which is connected thereto and relative to the ring 9, to which said attaching portion is permanently secured, so that each unit 8 may lie substantially fiat on the supporting surface on which the game apparatus is laid out even though said surface is not level, so that the various units 8 will not rly be disposed in the same plane or even in par lei planes. This is particularly important where the game apparatus is laid out on a lawn or the ground rather than on a door or a paved surface, so that each ring will lie substantially flat on the supporting surface and will not provide an obstacle over which a hopping child might trip.

The units 8, including the rings 9, attaching portions 1% and number tabs 16 i ay be formed of plastic or other suitable lightweight but substantially rigid and durable material.

Any rules may be utilized in connection with the play of any particular game and various other items, such as sin .11 tokens or objects which are thrown into designated rings 9, may be employed with the apparatus '7.

The units 55 may be quickly assembled and dismantled, and when dismantled may be stacked one upon the other for convenient storage.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may be resorted to, Without departing from the function or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A game apparatus comprising a plurality of detachably connected units forming a distinctively defined playing area when assembled, each or" units including a ring member and attaching portion immovably secured to and disposed externally of said ring member and detachably embracing a part of a ring member of an adjacent unit for detachably connecting said units together, said attaching portion being arcuately bowed longitudinaliy thereof and having a convex side secured to a pcripheral portion of the ring member or the unit thereof, said attaching portion having an open bottom and open ends to receive the ring portion embraced thereby.

2. game apparatus comprising a plurality of detachably connected units forming a distinctively defined playing area when assembled, each of said units including a ring member an attac. lg portion no /ably secured to and disposed externally of said ring member and detachably embracing a part of a ring mom er of an adjacent unit for detachably connecting said units together, said attaching portion comprising substantially concentric arcuately bowed strips snaced apart a distance slightly greater than the diameter of the ring portion embraced thereby and a bridge connecting said strips intermediate of their ends whereby the ring members of the two units may be inclined or canted relative to one another while connected together by said attaching portion.

3. A apparatus as in claim 2, said strips having upper edges diseosed above the level of the upper surface of the ring member thereof and to which said bridge is secured for normally supporting the bridge above and out or. contact with the ring portion embraced by said attaching portion.

4. A game apparatus comprising a plurality of detachably connected units forming distinctively defined playing area when assern l d, each of said units including a ring member and an attaching portion immovably secured to and disposed externally of said ring member and detachably embracing a art of a ring member of an adjacent unit for detachably connecting said units together, and a designating tab forming a part of each unit and having a downwardly opening channel shaped clamp portion detachably embracing a ,eart of the ring member for supporting the tab thereon and Within the ring member.

References fitted in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,042,007 Kennedy May 26, 1936 2,388,297 Slaughter Nov. 6, 1945 2,723,125 Coinee Nov. 8, 1955 2,891,793 Mudry June 23, 1959 3,014,723 Butler Dec. 26, 1961 3,042,490 ORear July 3, 1962 

1. A GAME APPARATUS COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF DETACHABLY CONNECTED UNITS FORMING A DISTINCTIVELY DEFINED PLAYING AREA WHEN ASSEMBLED, EACH OF SAID UNITS INCLUDING A RING MEMBER AND AN ATTACHING PORTION IMMOVABLY SECURED TO AND DISPOSED EXTERNALLY OF SAID RING MEMBER AND DETACHABLY EMBRACING A PART OF A RING MEMBER OF AN ADJACENT UNIT FOR DETACHABLY CONNECTING SAID UNITS TOGETHER, SAID ATTACHING PORTION BEING ARCUATELY BOWED LONGITUDINALLY THEREOF AND HAVING A CONVEX SIDE SECURED TO A PERIPHERAL PORTION OF THE RING MEMBER OR THE UNIT THEREOF, SAID ATTACHING PORTION HAVING AN OPEN BOTTOM AND OPEN ENDS TO RECEIVE THE RING PORTION EMBRACED THEREBY. 